Life of a Shadow: The End is the Beginning
by Hysteric Polaris
Summary: [post SA2] Shadow learns that he has another purpose in life to fulfill. And when GUN finds out about his survival, fulfilling his purpose may have to become his second priority. R&R ShadowAmy KnuxRouge
1. ARK Aftermath; Part I

Life of a Shadow: The End is the Beginning  
-GamerGirl  
  
Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Author's Note  
I'll make this short: My first story. Yes, I used spell check. It's not perfect. R&R. Flames allowed.  
  
Chapter 1: ARK Aftermath, Part I  
"Where is Shadow..?" Rouge asked innocently as Sonic entered ARK alone. The cerulean savior just looked down, shut his eyes, and shook his head as he walked up to her and handed her a golden bracelet. He suddenly was drawn into a flashback of the previous battle.  
-flashback-  
"Chaos CONTROL!!" Sonic and Shadow yelled simultaneously as they attacked the FinalHazard and sent it far, far away. Shadow unfortunately, lost all his power and his Super form from this ordeal. He began to fall helplessly towards Earth until Sonic grabbed his gloved hand.  
"Just hang on Shadow. If this dude is really gone, I'm taking you back to Earth with me where you'll get the respect you deserve.. you have your whole life ahead of you Shadow, just hang on." Sonic choked, holding back opaque tears.  
Shadow just looked up at him and did something he had not done since Maria died; he smiled. "Sorry, faker. But my job is done here. I already have all the respect I'll ever need. The respect of you and your friends, my friends.. My purpose here is fulfilled." Shadow then purposely released himself from Sonic's grip and fell toward Earth.  
Sonic didn't want to let Shadow die, whether it was his time or not. He had to try to save him. But it was too late, Shadow was already falling and all that was left of him was his golden bracelet that Sonic had accidentally pulled off while trying to pull him back. Shadow was gone.  
-end of flashback-  
Sonic then walked over to the window and stared at the Earth while the others discussed the previous encounter and what they were to do now that it was over. Eventually, the discussions died down and the heroes decided to head home. Everyone then headed out the door and into the transporter, whose coordinates were set to Station Square back on Earth. The last one out was Sonic, who, just before leaving, whispered, "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."  
***  
When they got back to Earth, a huge crowd of millions of people awaited to greet them. Some were waving their arms in the air and jumping up and down in triumph. Others were on the ground practically kissing the ground the heroes walked on. Everyone was in fine spirits, acknowledging the heroes as if they were the only ones who worked hard for this outcome. Sonic and the gang knew better. They knew they were not the only ones, Shadow helped too. Without Shadow, these people would not even have a ground to jump upon or heroes to praise. Actually, they were one hero short. The unlikely hero that everyone hated, ended up being their only chance at survival. And when he sacrificed himself for these people, what did they do? They praised Sonic. Sure Sonic helped, but he could not accept this worship. He never could unless Shadow was here with him to enjoy it. Shadow deserved some reward.  
The President soon showed up, and that's when the eye of the storm hit. He showered Sonic with gifts including a mansion, a hovercraft, new Soap Shoes, a part in a new movie; the whole enchilada. Somehow, with all this stuff now being poured into his lap, Sonic forgot all about Shadow and ran off to his mansion. He even forgot Tails. Amy then tried to run after him, very unsuccessfully.  
"Sonic!! Wait..! Please...?" Amy slowed to a stop and covered her heart with her hand, almost shedding tears at the fact that Sonic left without her, or without at least saying good-bye.  
"Amy, why do still chase after him? You of all people should know by now that you don't have a chance with him." Knuckles said, trying to comfort her.  
"I don't know why. I guess I just kept trying because I always saw at least one glimpse of hope for a relationship with him. But now... I just don't know." Amy let out a sigh and tucked away her sadness. She then trotted back to the rest of the group and became her old perky self again.  
With him gone, the gang was now standing in the middle of a huge red carpet alone, still surrounded by fans of all shapes and sizes. They began to dismiss the pleas for autographs and interviews and talked amongst themselves in somewhat of a huddle.  
"So.. Where are we gonna go now? Sonic's found a place." Rouge asked.  
"Well, I think my decision is quite clear, my nemesis lives on so I must continue on my quest to defeat him." Eggman stated. "It was fun working with you all.. but don't think that this changes anything!" Eggman warned as he ran off to his pyramid base.  
"Well, one down. I'm going back to my island of course." Knuckles proudly stated.  
"What about me? I used to work for and live at GUN headquarters! Now that this is over, I'm certainly not going to return there again. There's no way I can go with either of these kids, so I guess that means I'm your new roomy Knuckles." Rouge firmly announced.  
"What?! Wait a minute, hold the phone! Who said you could come with me?" Knuckles asked.  
"But I promise I won't bother you or anything! It's just until I can find an apartment!" Rouge then gave him those sappy puppy-dog eyes that no mortal can resist.  
"Fine, whatever. But if you try anything funny, your as good as out. Got it bat girl?" Knuckles obviously did not trust Rouge completely yet.  
"Of course. Like I said back on ARK, I'm not pursuing jewels anymore; too much work for too little pay." Rouge repeated. With that, the two former treasure hunters glided off leaving Tails and Amy alone.  
"Well, I have my own place so I guess you can come stay with me for awhile Tails." Amy offered. Tails just nodded and they both walked off to Amy's apartment in the center of Station Square.  
She stopped for a moment and looked down the street behind them. At the end was the mansion that Sonic was now occupying. Although the idea of barging in and asking him to marry her again was a thought that crossed her mind several times, in the end, she decided to just let him be for a while. She was convinced that eventually Sonic would see her the way she wanted him to, and they would live happily ever after. Just like in the fairy tales..  
"AMY!! Helloooo?" Tails was rapidly waving his hands in front of Amy's face. "We're going to your house right? Well, I don't know the way and in order to get there, your going to have to come out of this daydream sooner or later."  
Amy instantly came out of her trance and continued walking back to her place with Tails. 'It's been so long since I was there last.. Since I became involved in this whole ARK incident by being captured by Eggman and rescued by Tails on Prison Island. Poor Shadow, I hope he is with that Maria he loved so much now.' He sure has left his mark too.. She took a glimpse at the now half-shattered moon. 'Speaking of love, I wonder if Sonic will ever love me the way I love him? Only time will tell now...' 


	2. ARK Aftermath; Part II

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 2: ARK Aftermath, Part II  
(A/N: Shadow's POV)  
As I fell towards Earth, content with my accomplishment, I began to see the light; the light of death. The light enclosed me and soon I was in a beautiful paradise. All around me were trees and plants covered in wonderfully scented wild flowers of all colors. The stars were out in the daytime and the sun never seemed to set. There were also water fountains spurting out of the ground, it sort of resembled glitter on a white slate as it fell. There seemed to be serenity everywhere; no war, no violence or bloodshed. All there was was nature and the kind and loving people populating it. This was where I wanted to be.  
Then, I saw a familiar figure run toward me in the most breath-taking gown I have ever seen. It was a silky, sky blue, long-sleeve dress that extended to the knees. It shimmered all the colors of the rainbow as it reflected the sun's everlasting light.  
"Shadow!!" The young woman shouted to me.  
"Maria!!" I shouted back to her. I was sure that this girl, with her long flowing golden hair and large blue eyes, was indeed my Maria; the Maria that died trying to save me. Finally, I can be with her.. Forever.  
She had finally reached me as she dropped down on her knees to embrace me. There were tears streaming down her porcelain face so I wiped them away.  
"Maria.., It's been so long." I whispered, practically inaudibly.  
"I know. It's nice to see you again too.. Shadow." Maria responded.  
"Maria, is this.. heaven?" I asked.  
"Yes Shadow. But unfortunately..," Maria stood back up and tilted her head away from me, "you cannot stay here with me."  
"What?! Why??"  
"Well, Shadow, it's just not your time."  
"What? What do you mean?"  
"It's true, you did fulfill your promise to me. And for that I will be eternally grateful. But you have one more purpose."  
"What could possibly be more important than my promise to you?"  
".... True love."  
"But.., Aren't, you..?"  
"No, I'm sorry Shadow, but I am not. I was merely a friend for you so that you could learn to love, and to trust. Now you see why it was my time when it was. I had fulfilled my destiny and now you must fulfill yours."  
"But, who is my.. true love?"  
"That, Shadow, you must reveal for yourself."  
I just nodded as I took in the whole conversation. Maria was not my true love. Yet someone else was? But whom? No one I know was ever that nice to me, male or female. The idea just never occurred in my mind. But if Maria says that the one for me is out there, I guess I'll have to trust her and find this person.  
"It is time to leave now, Shadow." Maria said to me. "Don't worry. Trust in your strengths and believe in yourself. Just follow your heart and remember that I'm right behind you. My body may be gone, but my spirit will remain here." She patted the patch of white fur on my chest. "As I speak, your body is still falling towards Earth. I won't lie to you, you will be in much pain when you return to your body, but just always remember that there are people who care about you. You will find your true love someday, Shadow. I know you can do it." She knelt and embraced me once again before standing back and disappearing in a shroud of mist. Everything blacked out and then I heard her voice.  
"Until we meet again, my friend." Her voice whispered in my head.  
"Until then, friend." I responded to no one in particular.  
It was then that I woke up in my body. The pain was excruciating! I could still move, but every muscle in my body felt as if it had been sliced open with a knife and rubbed with salt repeatedly. I struggled to get up and think about where to turn for immediate medical attention. I had woken up in the middle of a forest and as I sat up, I could see past some of the trees in front of me. Past the few sets of trees before me was Station Square. I believe that that was home to Sonic, Tails, and Amy.   
'I can't go to Sonic. Poor faker was so heartbroken over my decision to die before, that he'd probably be too devastated to even accept the fact that I'm still alive. Hmm, that takes out Tails too. Rouge might not mind me staying with her, but I don't know where she lives and I need help now. I have no time to search for addresses. Knuckles is out of the question because his home floats and I have no way of getting up there. Furthermore it's too far out of the way. Eggman, hmm, I could go to him but.. He never did seem like the caring or understanding type to me... Wait! What about that Amy girl? Her home is close to here and she's always caring about the well being of others! Well, Sonic's at least.. In addition, her house won't be too hard to find because her favorite color is pink. Everything I've seen her with is pink or red, besides her friends. Her house must be one of those colors. I'll have to go to her for help.'  
I then painfully stood up and started on my way. 


	3. Vacant

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA. Coke belongs to the Coca-Cola people.  
  
Chapter 3: Vacant  
(A/N: Back to third person narration)  
"So Tails, what do you want for breakfast?" Amy asked with a smile on her face and that perky high-pitched voice she always uses.  
"I don't know. Got any eggs or pancakes or something?"  
"Of course I do! Eggs and pancakes it is!" Amy then fired up the stove and began to cook the eggs. She was humming her SA2 theme song while she cooked. Tails then took a seat at her kitchen table and sighed.  
"What's wrong Tails?" Amy asked with concern.  
"Oh, it's nothing much. It's just that.., How could Sonic just leave me behind like that? We were always best buddies and everything. We always do everything - well, almost everything - together." Tails answered.  
"Oh," her smile faded. "Well, I'm sure he didn't mean to. I bet he was just caught up in the moment, getting all that praise and free stuff and all. The only other thing that would make him do that is a truckload of chili-dogs!" Amy began to giggle. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll come by and pick you up once he remembers he forgot you. It's only been one day you know. Probably when he wakes up this morning and sees that your not there, he'll come looking for you." She then returned to her cooking.  
"Yeah I guess your right about Sonic coming to look for me.., And the truckload of chili-dogs!" He couldn't help but laugh at himself for what he just said.  
"Breakfast is ready! Here you go!" Amy set the plate of food in front of Tails.  
"Thanks Amy!" He took a few slow, cautious bites, then picked up the pace. "You know, your a pretty good cook Amy!" Tails said as he scarfed down the last of the pancakes in record time.  
Amy just giggled when there was a sudden knock at the door. "I'll get it!" Amy shouted, still perky. When she opened the door, there stood none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. "Sonic!!" Amy screamed as she jumped up and wrapped her arms in a tight hug around his neck.  
"Yeah, hi Amy." Sonic choked as he lightly patted her back in a greeting. When she let go, Sonic spoke up, "Uhh, is Tails here? I went to Knuckles and he said Tails might've went home with you last night- "  
"Sonic! Hey, why'd you leave me behind buddy?" Tails asked excitedly.  
"I'll explain on the way back to our new mansion. Did you know there's a pinball machine in the bedroom? It is so cool!" They then left Amy's house discussing the new mansion, leaving Amy behind without even so much as a good-bye, again.  
"Well, I'm glad Sonic and Tails are happy. Guess I'll make myself some breakfast now." She closed the door after blowing an imaginary kiss to Sonic. She then put her hand over her heart and gave a sigh. 'Why must he ignore me? I only try to help and he treats me as if I am a burden. I may not be all that useful, but I am only trying to be a good friend. Sometimes it just seems as if I'm alone, as if no one trusts or understands me. Well, that's just the way the ball rolls, I guess...' When she got in the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and pondered over what to consume first.  
'Hmm, I think I'll just have a grapefruit for now. I am not really in the mood for toast...' Before she could even grab a spoon, there was a very faint knock at the door.  
"Coming!" 'Now who would come here at this hour?' When she opened the door, a black figure collapsed from leaning on the door, to the very ground before Amy Rose. She shrieked in terror and was about to run and call the police when she noticed something -- She knew this person.  
"S-Sha-Shadow..?!" 


	4. Secrets Concealed and Identities Reveale...

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 4: Secrets Concealed and Identities Revealed  
Amy recollected herself and approached the unconscious hedgehog. She carefully flipped its body over so she could see his face -- and knew right away it was Shadow without a doubt. She took him inside by grabbing him under his arms and dragging him over to her living room couch. Amy then struggled to get Shadow into a somewhat comfortable position while she checked his pulse to see if he was even still alive.  
'Well, at least there's a pulse. That's good...' Amy was soon growing frantic. Did she call the police first? Did she try to remedy him herself and consult a physician only if things get worse? Did she try to wake him up and ask him to see someone else for help? On top of all of this, she had numerous questions to ask of Shadow. Like how he survived the fall to Earth, and why he came to her instead of someone more reliable.  
"Shadow..? A-are you awake?" Amy took Shadow's gloved hand in her own and patted the back of it lightly.  
"...Yes... barely. It hurts.. it hurts to move. It hurts to talk. It hurts, to do.. to do anything. I feel so weak and helpless, I hate that feeling. Falling through the atmosphere isn't as much fun as one would think, it stings. I must be covered in burnt fur..." Shadow said. His eyes were still closed and he began to grip Amy's hand tighter due to the pain. Because he was stronger than her, it began to hurt a bit. After a period of silence, Amy spoke up with her questions.  
"So, uhh, Shadow.." Amy began.  
"Yeah? What??"  
"Umm, if you don't mind me asking, how did you survive the fall?"  
"Just lucky I guess."  
"And, umm, I see it must've really hurt falling through the atmosphere like that."  
"No, Amy, it felt like falling onto a pile of cotton balls." Shadow replied both sarcastically and impatiently.  
"Sorry. I was just trying to make conversation." Amy folded her arms, "Could I ask one more question..?"  
"Sure, Mrs. Obvious."  
Amy gave him a quick angry glare although he couldn't see it. "Well, I was wondering, why did you come to me when you needed help? Why not someone else?"  
"First of all, I was not in need of help, I am in need of help, and second, I came to you because," he paused. "I guess I trusted you more than the others."  
Normally, Amy would've taken out her Piko Piko Hammer and bashed him over the head by now, but those last few words had taken her aback. Someone actually trusted her? She began to giggle at that.  
"What? What's so funny? Huh??"  
"Nothing," she giggled again, "It's just that, no one has ever trusted me with something before. Whether it be an item or a secret."  
"Well, now someone does. And I'm sorry I'm being such a jerk right now, but this is really painful. It could give anyone an attitude problem, trust me." Shadow then smirked and turned to her, opening his eyes. "And finally.., Thanks."  
"Thanks? For what?"  
"For convincing me to battle Biolizard. I know it doesn't seem like a good decision to you now because of the way things are turning out, but it meant a lot to me emotionally. It meant a lot to my purpose, and to Maria. Thank you."  
Amy couldn't help but blush a bit, "Y-your welcome." Silence. "Umm, I better call up an ambulance, your in pretty critical condition." She then picked up the phone on the endtable and before she could dial 911, Shadow interrupted.  
"Keep my survival a secret between us for now, all right? I promise that I will tell the others when the time is right."  
"A-all right." She then gave another quick smile of delight, and in a matter of minutes after the phone call, the ambulance arrived. 


	5. The Return of GUN

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA. Coke belongs to the Coca-Cola people.  
  
Chapter 5: The Return of GUN  
Shadow was in the hospital for a whole week. When he arrived, he was in a full-body cast. The next day, he was up and about, except for the wheelchair and a few broken limbs. A few days later, he had made a full recovery, not one burn, scar, or broken bone left in his body. In addition, all his fur had grown back. No one knew how he had recovered so quickly, not even himself. With no where to go after he was released and healed, he once again came to Amy for assistance.  
Knock, knock.  
"Coming!" Cried Amy in her cheerful voice from inside the apartment. When she opened the door, a smile the size of 10 football fields spread across her face. "Shadow! I'm so glad you're all right! And so soon! How did you recover so soon anyway?"  
"Hey, I don't call myself the Ultimate Lifeform for nothing." Shadow replied with a chuckle. "Well, the reason I returned is, that, well, I need a place to stay for awhile, and.. if you don't mind... I-"  
"Of course! Come on in!" Amy put on those happy anime eyes and waved him into the apartment. He looked around and said,  
"Nice place, Amy. Couldn't have done better myself. Clean and home-y."  
"Thank you! Would you like something to drink?"  
"You got any Coke?"  
"Yup! Sure do!" She then hurried herself into the kitchen to fetch her guest his drink while Shadow just stood there in the middle of her living room. Amy then peeked in and saw this. "Ya' know, Shadow, you can sit down. It's your house too for the time being!"  
"Okay." He took a seat on her couch and stayed quiet until Amy came in with his drink and a coaster. "Thank you." Shadow said as he was handed his refreshment. He took a sip or two and set it on the coaster on the endtable.  
"So, Shadow," Amy began as she sat herself beside him on the couch, "how's the hospital?"  
"Fine."  
"And what about you?"  
"Fine." Shadow took another sip.  
"Why don't I show you where you'll be staying?"  
"Okay." Shadow replied dully. Amy got up and walked upstairs, Shadow close behind. They stopped in front of a door and opened it. The room was completely empty save for a bed and a dresser. There was also a few papers in the corner and a window clear across from them.  
"This is your bedroom. Not much now, but we can do something with it. Right?"  
"Sure."  
"You aren't saying much. What's up?"  
"It's nothing. I've just been thinking a lot."  
"About..?"  
"GUN."  
"Oh, them.."  
"I mean, what if they find out I'm still alive? If they come after me again, I don't want you getting in the middle of it."  
"You're starting to sound like Sonic now, always caring about others before yourself.. Anyway, I promise they won't find out. I mean, how could they?"  
"I guess your right, for now. I'll have to hide here though, away from prying eyes. More specifically, GUN's. Isolated..." He walked in and sat on the bed staring down, bouncing lightly a few times.  
"She followed him in and put a caring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. You're the Ultimate Lifeform, remember? Everything will be fine. And by the way, dinners in ten. We're having chicken!" Then she left and closed the door lightly behind her. It wasn't much longer before the doorbell rang. Amy said, "Coming!" As she postponed her cooking to answer the door.  
Shadow heard this too and opened his door slightly to peek out at the visitor. It was a GUN agent.  
"Hello, officer! How may I help-" She noticed the patch on his chest that read "David Marriner, GUN agent" and finished her sentence flatly, "you."  
"My agency has received word that the supposed Ultimate Lifeform code named "Project Shadow", and created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, is hiding here. He is commonly referred to as "Shadow"."  
"Let me assure you, sir, that there is no "Shadow" living here, let alone hiding out here. What does it look like?"  
"He's your height and species and is black. It's male and has red streaks across it's quills. Have you seen him?"  
"No, I don't recall seeing-"  
"Me and a few more of my troops are going to search your apartment, to make sure you aren't telling any fibs, little missy." He flashed her a Search Warrant then signaled to his troops with a wave. They then burst in, shoving Amy out of their way, and knocking her to the ground with a light thud.  
Shadow saw this and his blood began to boil. 'How dare they hurt a lady! They need to be taught a lesson!' He shut his door and waited for a troop member to enter his room. When one did, he backed up.   
"Hello!" With that, he hurled a punch right into his face. "Oh. Was that your face? I didn't see it there!" Shadow said sarcastically. Hearing this, all the other troops headed upstairs and ended up being pummeled by the same fist. "There. I think things are all in order here. You can go now." He dragged them all outside through the back door and tossed the unconscious troops into the nearest dumpster.  
"Just doing my chores." Shadow said as he dusted himself off. Just as he reentered the apartment, he remembered Amy. Shadow rushed to the front door where he saw Amy get knocked down and saw no one, but a note. He picked it up and read the letter.  
  
To Shadow the Hedgehog;  
  
Nice work. I noticed you from down here. Pummeling my guards must've been a simple task for the Ultimate Lifeform. How did I find out where you were? Easy. You were brought into the local Hospital by this pink moron, were you not? We have connections with every public service in the world. When we got word of you, I came down here to finish what GUN started - capture and eliminate you. Although I was successful in finding you, I still am leaving empty-handed. Let me insure you that the next time we meet, I won't. To insure this, I've borrowed your little friend. If you want her back, just surrender yourself. Easy as that. I'll be waiting at Prison Island. You should know where, one week from today at 7:00pm. Kill- I mean, see you there.  
  
Not Sincerely Yours,  
David Marriner  
GUN Agent 


	6. The Search for Assistance

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 6: The Search for Assistance  
Shadow just stood there after reading the letter, staring at it. After about 10 seconds, he lifted his head and spoke to himself.  
"Pink moron?! That's it! They're getting a beating so bad, they won't be able to breathe for a week!" Shadow took a deep breath and continued, "I gotta calm down. First thing's first." 'Leave it to GUN to get an innocent involved in this...' "I gotta rescue the damsel in distress, tackle the biggest government agency in the world, and not get myself killed in the process. This is gonna be fun.. Well, I guess I'll need some help."  
Shadow walked out the door and decided to see Sonic first. This was gonna be pretty difficult explaining all this to him. Especially when he didn't know how to break his survival to him. Shadow just began to walk leisurely down the street, whistling his theme from SA2, keeping an eye out for any blue blurs. Across the street, there was a conveniently placed chili-dog restaurant. A sign in the front window read:  
  
Chili-Dog Eating Contest Today!!!  
All who think the y can stomach it are welcome to try.  
Whoever eats the most chili-dogs in the shortest amount of time wins!  
Prize: Gift Certificate for Chili-Bob's Chili-Dog Hut!  
If you eat more than 100 in less than an hour: FREE Chili-Dogs for LIFE!!!  
  
'Well, I think I found Sonic...' Shadow walked in and the first thing he saw was a crowd of people swarmed around a table in the center of the restaurant. There were so many, that there was no way that Shadow could've seen what they were gawking at. Then in the back of the crowd, he heard someone yell, "120!!" and hold up a stopwatch. Yup. It's Sonic. Then, he looked up and saw the unmistakable trademark of Sonic: Tails, hovering over the table to see past the crowd and view his friend's victory.  
You should've seen the look on Tails' face! His eyes were so wide, it looked as if they were about to fall out at any moment. And, on top of that, his mouth was drooped so far open, you could fit an elephant in there! He was just hovering there with his tails, witnessing his buddy's chili-dog eating feat in complete awe.  
Then, Shadow could've sworn he saw Tails glance over at him. His suspicions were confirmed when Tails' expression turned to freight and disbelief and slowly turned his head back toward Shadow. When they made eye contact, Tails' tails stopped spinning and he fell to the ground in a heap of petrified orange fur. Sonic immediately stopped eating and ran over to his little buddy.  
That was when Shadow saw Sonic, and vice versa. "Tails! Hey buddy, are you OK- Shadow?!"  
"Yup. Hey faker. Nice seeing you again."  
"Am I dreaming?" He rubbed his eyes, "I thought you died at ARK!"  
"Times change. Look, I need Tails' and your help. Amy's been kidnapped."  
"Again?! By who? Is she all right? How did you survive? Where-"  
"Look, okay? Two words: shut, up. Now, save your questions for later, pick up your friend, and follow me back to Amy's place so I can explain everything. Oh, and one more thing. Grab a Tic-Tac, your breath smells like rank chili-dogs." And so the three left for Amy's pad at the speed of light, which may I say, must not be that hard for these two to do. At that speed, they were there in mere seconds.  
Everyone took a seat, except Tails, who was still out cold. "Hey, Shadow. Could you get a glass of water for me?" Sonic asked.  
"Sure, whatever." Shadow came back in a millisecond with a small cup of water. Sonic took it and splashed it into Tails' face.  
"What the-?! Oh, hi Sonic." He then glanced back over at Shadow and looked as if was about to pass out again.  
Sonic grabbed Tails' face, turned it to him, and said, "No, don't even think about fainting again. This is important."  
"O-o-okay." Tails stuttered.  
"Now that that's taken care of, I can explain everything to you. To answer Sonic's first question, Amy was kidnapped by GUN." Shadow continued to tell Sonic of his stay until Amy's kidnapping, showing Sonic the letter.  
"Whoa, Shadow and Amy? Never would've seen it in a million miles! Especially when she's in love with me! Hahaha! Shadow loves Am-" Sonic would've finished his sentence, but he had already doubled on the floor laughing. He then felt a sharp pain in his side when he noticed Shadow had just kicked him there, hard. "Ow! Hey!"  
"Get up." Shadow said coldly. "To answer your second question, faker," Shadow directed an evil glare at Sonic, "she's probably bruised up a bit from rough-housing with those GUN agents. Believe me, I would've pounded that piece of dirt right where he stood if I didn't have a conscience.  
"Finally, I don't know how I survived. Only thing I can say is it's probably part of this whole 'I'm the Ultimate Lifeform' business."  
"Yeah, yeah. You act all high and mighty because your the Ultimate Lifeform and everything, but I bet your a cream puff in front of Amy." Sonic said, using a baby voice on the word Amy.  
"All right! That's IT!!" Shadow was about to pummel Sonic into the ground, but Tails interfered.  
"STOP!!!" Tails screamed at the top of his lungs, holding out his arms between the two of them. The place grew silent as the hedgehogs stared at him in amazement. "Now, let's settle this kidnapping like civilized adults, shall we? I'd say that the second order of business would be to gather allies. I think we should go see Knuckles first at Angel Island, we can use my Tornado. Meet me outside when you both grow up."  
With that, Tails left, the two hedgehogs still at each other's throats. They stared at Tails, then at each other, and ran out to meet Tails in his Tornado.  
"Truce?" Sonic asked innocently.  
"For now." Shadow replied, shaking hands with Sonic to confirm the truce. Tails smiled at this and flew them all off the Angel Island in his Tornado. 


	7. Prison Island Arrival

Disclaimer  
I do not own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 7: Prison Island Arrival  
In the end, the apparently mismatched trio gathered up Knuckles and Rouge. They now had somewhat of a chance, since they had already faced GUN once before. Once the story had been told to the newcomers, everyone prepared for the encounter in a few days. Which for Sonic, meant torturing poor Shadow without giving a moment's peace. Eventually, Tails became no match for the endless arguments and Knuckles took the job of Hedgehog Referee. With him as the Ref., neither of them tried anything. Knuckles was known for his short temper and seriousness. He wouldn't make a threat that he didn't intend to follow through with. Knowing this, the rest of the week went smoothly. Finally, the big battle had come and everyone was ready.  
Amazingly, everyone was able to fit into the Tornado, but only because Tails had thought ahead and installed about 4 extra seats. It took away from speed and power, but they wouldn't be needing the Tornado for this battle, or so they thought.  
"We're nearing Prison Island now. Switching to Landing mode." Tails stated.  
"Do you think we should check the spot where Amy was kidnapped before first?" Tails asked.  
"Yeah, that would be my guess." Sonic answered. And so they landed on the exact spot where Tails and Eggman battled for the first time in SA2. When they landed, they saw a figure walk out of the shadows before them, holding Amy. He had his hand over her mouth and was holding her with his other arm around her waist. She couldn't wave to them because her hands were tied up behind her back, her feet were tied together also. Amy looked scared and was silently crying. She kept staring at Shadow and Sonic. Then, without warning, she bit the hand that held her mouth shut. While it was away, she screamed out to the gang.  
"Sonic! Shadow!!! Help-!" Before Amy could finish, the man had shoved a gag in her mouth and had slapped her across the face, hard, for biting him. She now had her eyes closed, head tilted down in shame.  
"Marriner!!" Shadow shouted.  
"Yup, it's me again," David said as he put on a hideous smirk, "Well? Gonna come get your girlfriend or what?"  
Shadow was infuriated and began to run for Amy. Then, an unexpected thing occurred, David pulled out a gun and put it to Amy's head.  
"Go on, keep coming. She'll be dead, and so will you, but you'll have her. If you want her back unharmed, you'd better back up and surrender." The GUN agent seemed to be enjoying this.  
"You think it's that easy don't you? To catch me? I'm not going down with out a fight!" Shadow stated.  
"And neither are we," said Rouge as she hopped out of the Tornado. The others soon followed.  
"What a coincidence! Neither am I. Get your way through our hideout and reach me to get her back. And if you don't," David seemed to put on the expression of a Dark Chao, "then we'll have won. Your friends are not what I'm after, Shadow. If they die, it'll only be a consolation prize. You're the only one I want. Later, much!" With that, he disappeared and a faint, muffled scream of terror was heard in the distance.  
"Don't worry Shadow. We'll get her back, safe and sound, just like we always do." Knuckles said comfortingly. He then rushed into their headquarters, followed by everyone else, except Shadow.  
Shadow stayed behind, thinking of Maria. She had told him to search for his true love, and he was here, saving some fangirl while he was supposed to be searching. How long would it take for him to find her? It's already seemed like a month has gone by. How will he even know? '"That, Shadow, you must reveal for yourself."' He remembered Maria's words to him before he had left heaven. 'I know I can do it, as long as you're with me, Maria...' He closed his eyes and placed his hand over his patch of white fur. It wasn't long now before Sonic ran outside and yelled out to Shadow.  
"Yo, Shadow! Ya' comin'?"  
"Of course, faker." Shadow ran in with a smirk on his face and hopes in his heart. 


	8. GUN Finale

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 8: GUN Finale  
When Shadow got inside, they began to formulate a plan.  
"Okay, Tails, you go ahead with your Tornado and destroy all their security devices. Me and Shadow will go in and destroy any guard robots, and Knuckles?" Sonic commanded.  
"Yeah?" Knuckles responded.  
"You and Rouge go ahead, search for keys and use them to open any doors you may encounter. Ready? Go!" Everyone headed in and did their jobs.  
(A/N: Tails POV)  
I left the group and began to destroy all of their little security cameras that were hanging hidden in the corners. There were times when I would encounter guard robots, but they were simple to defeat for my Tornado.  
It was about 5 robots and 14 halls later that I had found the Central Security room. I bashed in and knocked out the agent working the systems. Then I disabled all the cameras that I didn't break already and installed a virus in their main computer system. I turned around knowing my job was done and looked at the door.  
"Well, my job's done. Good luck you guys." I whispered.  
(A/N: Rouge POV)  
We entered and activated our Master Emerald radars. "Okay, Rouge, you go that way, I'll go this way. Use this to contact me if you find any keys." He handed me a microphone/speaker attachment for my Treasure Scope.  
"Gotcha. Oh, and one more thing."  
"What?"  
I winked at him. "Good luck!" Then I giggled mentally as we parted ways. Hallway after hallway I traveled, destroying enemies with my Iron Boots, but I still found no signal. Then, I got word from Knuckles.  
"Find anything?" Knuckles said in that static-y radio voice.  
"Nope, not yet- wait! I got something! Hang on!" I responded as my radar picked up a feint signal. I flew up a bit and my radar got stronger. Then I found a wall with a strange marking, so I climbed onto it and my radar got to its peak. I dug into the wall and found a key. "Got one!"  
"Great! Get looking for more, 'cause I haven't found any yet."  
"Okay." It wasn't long before I picked up another signal and a call from Knuckles.  
"Got one over here! Find the last one yet?"  
"Sorry, no. But I have its signal. Give me a minute- Ahh!" My Treasure Scope had fallen off my head when I saw it. A giant 'bot the size of a hippo was hovering before me. I think it was a GUN version of a Beetle Bot. It was huge though and had a lot of protection. The worst part was, I wasn't in any shadows; I was completely vulnerable.  
"Rouge! Rouge, are you there? What's going on?"  
I wanted to answer him, but I was being blasted with its huge laser. All I could do was answer him with a cry of pain. It hurt so much, but the laser had to cease eventually, right?  
"ROUGE!!" Was all I heard from my Treasure Scope walkie-talkie before I saw Knuckles glide in and see me getting shot by the laser. I hated to be seen so weak. He let out a cry of anger and pounded the crap out of that robot. It was out of commission all right. With the laser gone, I collapsed to the ground in pain and he rushed over to me.  
"Rouge! Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, for now. The last key, it's-" I paused to take in a bit of pain which I squeezed into his hand. I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed through my clenched teeth to endure the pain.  
"Forget the last key, you're hurt." That was the first time I've ever heard him think about my well-being before that of his treasure hunting. I felt honored. He then scooped me up in his arms and grabbed the key that had fallen from the Beetle Bot. Finally, he proceeded to glide me to the locked door. Knuckles set me down and I stood up, leaning against the wall for support. I think I might've broken my ankle.  
Before long, all the doors were unlocked and he put his arm around my waist to hold me up while I put my arm around his shoulders for support. I limped out of the building with Knuckles and as we stared back at the building, only one thing was said.  
"Good luck, guys."  
2  
  
  
2 


	9. The Downfall of Big, Bad GUN

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 9: The Downfall of Big, Bad GUN  
(A/N: Shadow POV)  
We took off at the speed of light, literally, Home-Attacking any robots we found. About half-way through, we heard a female scream in pain. That only made me more determined to get Amy back. I know it wasn't her, and that I probably should help, but I had no time, I had to reach that freak before he did something to Amy.  
'Why am I so worried about Amy now? Is it because of that blue faker? Did he rub off on me? Probably, but I think it's just because her hospitality overwhelmed me. She's so kind and appreciative but no one is appreciative of her. On top of that, she's always considered the target to the enemy, our 'weakest link'. But she's not, at least not to me. All I know, is that I have to save her. Not Sonic, not Knuckles, but me. She's my responsibility now. I got her into this mess, and I'm getting her out.'  
We reached a door that was previously locked and walked inside cautiously. All we found was stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. So we looked to each other, nodded, and proceeded to climb the staircases. After about 7 sets, we were wiped. Or at least I was.  
Tiring was last on my list of priorities when I saw what lied before me: A GUN Egg Golem. Probably much more sophisticated than Eggman's Egg Golem. But behind him was a door that was clearly unlocked, due to the fact that it was open a crack. I bet that was where Amy was being kept. I was ready to run over there and get her, but I didn't want to leave the faker here to battle this Golem all on his own.  
"Hey, Shadow. I'll distract him while you run ahead and grab Amy!" Sonic yelled.  
I didn't say anything. I just nodded to him and ran up there. Just before I walked in the door, I turned around and saluted him, giving him that 'Good-luck,-and-I-owe-you-one' look. Then he nodded and gave me that 'Oh-yeah,-big-time' look. I chuckled as I entered. It was dark but not so dark as I could see Amy in the corner.  
She was still bound and had a handkerchief in her mouth as a gag. The fur around her eyes was a deep pink, sort of a magenta color, due to her crying. Her eyes were closed, but still gave off that extremely frightened look. She had her knees to her chest and was leaning against the corner. I also noticed a metal collar around her neck, like a tracking device of some sort. I rushed to her immediately, only to be caught in a net half-way there.  
I was now in a net, mere feet from Amy, hanging from the ceiling. "Amy!!" I called as I struggled to release myself from the net. I then saw her look up at me with hope in her wet eyes. "Let her go! Let me go!. You sick twisted freak! Release us! What is wrong with you?!" I was infuriated at the fact that she was right there and I couldn't save her.  
Then I saw her get up. She had stood up, using the wall for balance to hop over to me. I think she was going to try to release me. She was right below me when a deep sinister laugh came from the other side of the room. I heard Amy give a muffled gasp and saw her turn her head immediately to look at the figure who had laughed. It was too dark to see who it was, but whoever it is was holding up a remote of some sort. He pushed a button, I heard Amy's muffled scream, and then heard her body collapse to the floor. That device around her neck must've been a shocking device or something and that remote activated it.  
That was when I lost it. That was the last time someone hurt me or my friends. I powered up my Fire Ring until I set the net on fire. I fell through the net, to the ground, still charging up, and rolled right into the figure. The lights jerked on and I saw it was David Marriner. Go figure. He then got up, grabbed his head, and kicked me across the room, right into Amy. I silently apologized to her and figured 'why not check her over while I'm here?' To make sure he didn't hurt her. I found a bruise and a mark where he slapped her earlier. Her injuries may have been small, but at this point, anything was liable to set me off even farther.  
"You can hurt me, but DO NOT hurt my friends!! Especially Amy!!!" I ran at him and it became an all out fist fight. Little did I know that Amy had woken up after I had examined her. She was hearing, and maybe even seeing, all of this. He threw a punch, I dodged. I threw one, he dodged. I tripped him up, then smashed him in the face. While he was down, he uppercutted me. I swear, if you were paying to see this, you would've thought we were watching the WWF (A/N: I know it's called WWE now, but I still think WWF is more traditional and appropriate.) Eventually, I fit a roundhouse kick in there. He was down but not out. Using my extraordinary speed, I ran over to Amy, took the device off her neck, ran back over to David, put it around his neck, and grabbed the control.  
When he came to about two seconds later, I was tossing the remote up and down playfully in one hand and had my other hand on my hip with a devilish smirk on my face, staring at him. He then gave me a nasty look and then a confused one. David lifted one hand to his neck and patted the device. He then looked at me with a worried smile and a worried, nervous laugh. I just nodded, increasing the size of my smirk.  
I stopped tossing the remote, held it so it was pointed at him, thumb over the 'Electrocute' button. His eyes grew wide. I pressed the button. My job was done, he was out cold. 


	10. A Purpose Fulfilled

Disclaimer  
I don't own any of the Sonic characters. They are all property of the geniuses in the Sonic Team and at SEGA.  
  
Chapter 10: A Purpose Fulfilled  
(A/N: Back to third person narration)  
Shadow then dashed over to Amy, who, Shadow just noticed, was already awake. He knelt down before her and brushed some hair from her face.  
"Are you all right?" Shadow asked, concerned.  
Amy said nothing. Her eyes just overflowed with fresh tears and she jumped into Shadow's arms for a hug. Shadow was slightly surprised, but returned the embrace. His shoulder became moist with the tears of a fearful hedgehog.  
"Thank you.. so much. I was so worried.., Worried that you might've lost, that we would've lost you again..." Amy sobbed.  
"Don't cry, everything's all right now. And, I'm really sorry," Whoa, the Ultimate Lifeform apologizing? That's a first. "I got you and the others involved in this. I risked all your lives.., When I couldn't even bear to lose you."  
Amy released herself from the hug and sat back, just staring into his hypnotizing ruby red eyes.  
She didn't know what to say. Someone actually would care if she was gone? Someone wouldn't just rescue her because it was the right thing to do? New emotions and feelings welled in her stomach, like love. But she loved Sonic, right? She was riddled with confusion. This feeling was much more different from the love she felt when she was with Sonic. It felt like, like.. She just couldn't explain it. It was kinda like anxiety and nervousness at the same time with a little twist of joy, like the joy you get when you just finished off a plate of your favorite food.  
Meanwhile, Shadow had already had similar feelings. He had thought that maybe it was love, maybe not. But he didn't want to just blurt it out and leave her in an uncomfortable situation. Little did he know, that he already did.  
"Umm, really?" Amy asked, whispering, trying to stir up a conversation unsuccessfully.  
"Yes, I mean everything I'm saying to you now. Even the fact that," Shadow took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment to gather his courage. His heart was beating so fiercely, that it hurt. "I think I love you." There. He had said it. It was off his chest. Now the only thing he had to be worried about was whether she said "I do too" or "I don't" and run off.  
Amy had just heard those magical words that she had been longing for Sonic to confess to her since the day he saved her from Metal Sonic all those adventures ago. She was speechless. Someone loved her. Now her emotions were soaring. She couldn't hold it in any longer, the joy that someone cared this much for her was overwhelming, she just jumped into Shadow's arms and kissed him.  
Realizing what she did, she immediately pulled away. "Sorry.. got a little carried away." Shadow had gladly accepted the kiss though. He felt like he was back in paradise with Maria. And just when Shadow thought that the kiss had caused her to forget his confession, she looked into his eyes and said, "I love you too, Shadow." He was now as excited as Amy was a moment ago.  
She then saw him give more than a smirk, but a full-length smile. A rare treat even for those few who knew the Ultimate Lifeform personally. He was so relieved that she didn't say "I don't" that he scooped her into his arms. Shadow kissed her, spun her around a few times, then put her down. He then faced sideways in front of Amy and he looked toward her, hand extended out to her. She took his hand and, in a blur of metal and pure speed, she found herself outside facing the gang and still hand in hand with the Ultimate Lifeform.  
To the surprise of Shadow, Sonic didn't make one couple comment. To them or Knuckles and Rouge, who were also hand in hand. Well, more like arm in arm because of her broken ankle. The only ones not paired up were Sonic and Tails. They seemed to be happy just being adored by their many fangirls as handsome bachelors. Sonic looked a little more happy though, since Amy finally seemed to give up her little crush on him.  
Everyone was boarding the Tornado to leave Prison Island, hopefully for good. But there were only 5 seats. Tails had neither the materials nor the time to build an extra seat now, so Amy sat in Shadow's seat on his lap. He didn't seem to mind in the slightest. On the way back, though, Shadow once again thought about his last visit with Maria, in heaven.  
'This whole time I've been searching for my true love, when she's been right here all along. Thank you Maria, for everything.' 


End file.
